Machine for putting bands on balls of knitting wool



Nov. 7, 1950 L. J. R. SANDERS 2,529,313

MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS OF KNITTING WOOL Filed Nov. 20, 1948 12 Sheets-Sheet l :jnverfior 11 707 767 R .SEITIJerS Nov. 7, 1950 L. J. R. SANDERS 2,529,333

MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS 0F KNITTING WOOL Filed Nov. 20, 1948 12 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 7, 1950 L. J. R. SANDERS 295299 313 MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS OF. KNITTING WOOL Filed Nov. 20, 1948 12 Sheets-Sheet 5 LiOT/ej 1 1.53? Jews 5 I y %w&% $26M NW0 9 if L. J. R. SANDERS ,Z MZ 3- MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS 0N BALLS OF KNITTING WOOL Filed Nov. 20, 1948 12 Sheets-Sheet 4 j?! UeTJ'OT Lia-r167 j R. 537767675 Nov. 7, 1950 L. J. R. SANDERS 2,529,313

MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS 0N BALLS OF KNITTING WOOL Filed Nov. 20,- 1 4a 12 Sheets-Sheet s Nov. 7, 1950 J. R. SANDERS 2, 3

MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS 0F KNITTING WOOL L7 077e7 Sande-r5 6 L- J. R. SANDERS MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS 0F KNITTING WOOL Filed Nov. 20, 1948 Nov. 7, 1950 12 Sheets-Sheet 7 Nov. 7, 1950 J. R. SANDERS 2,529,313.

MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS 0F. KNITTING WOOL- l2 Sheets-Shec 8 Filed Nov. 20; 19.48

Nov. 7, 1950 J. R. SANDERS MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS 0N BALLS 0F KNITTING WOOL 12 Sheets-Sheet 9 Fild NOV. 20,-1948 Nov. 7, 1950 L. J. R. SANDERS MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS OF KNITTING WOOL Filed NOV. 20, 1948 12 Sheets-Sheet 10 in nu. m,"

L777 ve-n7'or [1767767 .SarIJc-rs ymw/J Nov. 7, 1950 2,529,313

MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS OF KNITTING WOOL L. J. R. SANDERS 12 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Nov. 20, 1948 ywM/%4m Nov. 7, 1950 L. J. R; SANDERS 2, 3

MACHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS OF KNITTING WOOL Filed Nov. .20, 1943' 12 sheets-sheet 12 L-l'ahe7 J.H sarlaers Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE M'BifiHINE FOR PUTTING BANDS ON BALLS F KNITTING WOOL 34 Claims.

The invention pertains to automatic machinery and in particular to a machine especially devised to attach the usual paper band to a ball of knitting wool.

In current practice such a band has a gummed end by which its ends are secured together when it has been wrapped about a ball of wool by a manual operation. The manual application of such bands is a slow and costly method.

The machine of the present invention automatically applies the bands to the balls in a continuous operation and staples the ends in lieu of the customary adhesive attachment.

The machine includes a fixed anvil below which is a table for supporting bands. A stack of the bands is placed on the table by hand and the balls are placed by hand on holders of a rotary conveyor, which conveyor feeds the balls one at a time directly below the anvil where each is mementarily stationed while a band is applied. Pickup devices operate to lift a band from the top of the stack and bend it around a stationed ball with its ends overlapping and overlying the anvil for a stapling operation. The pick-up devices comprise crossed arms pivoted to swing under the influence of cams. The arms carry heads which are caused to travel arcwise between the top of the stack and the anvil. The heads are provided with gripping fingers, there being a pair on each head. One of each pair is a suction finger which initially pneumatically takes hold of an end of the top band of the stack when the heads are in a fully lowered position and in this way lifts the band jointly with the corresponding finger of the other head. While the heads are being swung upwardly toward the anvil the pairs of fingers are turned with a wrist movement for flexing the band around the ball, and in the upward swing of the heads the ends of the band are gripped by the non-suction fingers which are in the form of resilient members that are projected and closed against the respective suction fingers to clamp the band ends in lieu of the suction hold, which is then cut off. In the fully raised positions of the heads the fingers are located in close proximity to the anvil and when the ends of the band have been stapled together the resilient fingers are retracted from the inner side of the band so that the banded ball can be removed by the conveyor. The stapling is performed by a stapling mechanism that forms the staples as they are required. The staples are clinched by the anvil as they are driven through the ends of the band. Since the pick-up devices have a set swing the level of the stack must be maintained within close limits in order that the band which is uppermost may be picked up by the suction fingers. To meet this requirement the table is elevated from time to time to compensate for bands removed from the stack.

The moving components of the machine are co-ordinated in proper sequence of operation and cams are largely employed as the motivating agents of the components. The machine is adjustable for bands of diiierent lengths and it has been demonstrated that the machine is capable of attaching bands in an efficient manner for assuring a large output in a time and labor saving production.

A machine constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the machine showing the pick-up devices in lowered position for lifting the top band of a stack.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the pickup devices raised and turned to wrap the band about a ball of Wool with the ends of the band overlapped and positioned over the anvil for stapling,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine with the pick-up devices raised as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section through the machine taken on line l l of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the upper part of the machine depicting the cam mechanism for the pick-up devices and the stapling mechanism.

- Fig. 6 is a sectionized View taken longitudinally of the machine to show the cam actuating mechanism for the rotary conveyor for balls of wool.

Fig. 7 is a top plan aspect of the head of the rotary conveyor.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the cam mechanism for turning the head of the rotary conveyor.

Fig. 9 is a. section taken substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 6 to illustrate more clearly the ratchet device which forms a part of the cam mechanism for turning the head of the rotary conveyor.

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the mechanism for automatically elevating the table which supports the stack of bands.

Fig. 11 is a perspective View showing a stack of bands supported on the table and the top band lifted by the pick-up devices. There is also indicated in this view, in dash lines, the fully raised positions of the pick-up devices with said top band curled into a ring with its ends overlapped ready for stapling.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary front view of the machine depicting the swingable arms, which carry the pick-up devices, and the stationary cams which efiect the turning of the pick-up devices.

Fig. 13 is a substantially side elevation of Fig. 12.

Fig. l l is a fragmentary front aspect of the swingable arms and the cams by which they are operated.

Fig. is a side View of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a side elevation of one of the heads of the pick-up devices showing the band gripper in open position.

Fig. 17 is a similar elevation but showing the band gripper closed on an end of a band.

Fig. 18 is a further side elevation of one of the heads of the pick-up devices, but showing parts broken away to disclose the interior construction.

Fig. 19 is a cross section on line l9l9 of Fig.

Fig. 20 is a cross section on line 2ll20 of Fig. 18 depicting a cam follower rack for turning the gripper fingers of said head.

Fig. 21 is a sectionized longitudinal view of the relatively fixed finger of said head.

Fig. 22 is an inner side view thereof.

Fig. 23 is a detail in elevation of an adjustable trip device for release of the movable finger of the pick-up devices.

Fig. 24 is a cross section on line 24-24 of Fig. 23.

Figs. 25 and 26 are detailed views in side elevation of the tripping finger of said trip device.

Fig. 27 is an end view of the tripping finger 5 which is detailed in Figs. 25 and 26.

Fig. 28 is a side elevation of the stapling head. Fig. 29 is a longtudinal section through the stapling head showing it in lowered position for a stapling operation.

Fig. 30 is a similar but fragmentary view of the stapling head in raised position.

Fig. 31 is a vertical cross section taken on line 3 l3l of Fig. 29.

Fig. 32 is a further vertical section taken on line 3232 of Fig. 29.

Fig. 33 is another vertical section taken on line 3333 of Fig. 29 showing the cutting and forming mechanism for the stapler.

Fig. 34 is a similar section to Fig. 33 but showing the cutting and forming mechanism in a different position of operation.

Fig. 35 is a diagrammatic view of one of the swingable arms of the pick-up devices and the adjustable bearing in which it is pivoted; and Fig. 36 is a sectional aspect thereof.

The machine of the present invention comprises a suitable frame (Figure 3) for supporting the various operating parts, which frame is illustrated as including a base I, vertical members 2, 3, and 4, fixed thereto and supporting a forwardly projecting top member 5. An electric motor 6 (Figure i) supplies the power for driving the various operating parts, which motor is geared by speed reducing gearing to one of a pair of meshing spur gears 1 and B. Said speed reducing gearing may be of any known kind but in the present instance is shown as a chain 9 connecting the sprocket H! on the motor shaft to a comparatively large sprocket l l which is mounted on said frame by a journalled shaft l2 and connected by a pinion l3 engaged with the spur gear I.

Said spur gears l and 8 are fixed respectively on rear sections of shafts IA and [5 (Figure 3). Said rear sections are indicated at l6 and each is horizontally journalled in the frame members 3 and 4 and connected as by a universal joint ll to an intermediate shaft section it! which in turn is connected by a universal joint l9 to a front shaft section 20. The front section 20 is journalled horizontally in a block 2! by means of spaced bearings 22, as best shown in Fig. 36. Said blocks are positionally adjustable for bands of different lengths as will be later dealt with more fully, and to this end the intermediate sections iii of the iii) shafts l4 and I5 are of a telescopic structure, as indicated at 23, so as to cooperate with said universal joints in permitting the front sections 22 to be shifted laterally with said blocks 2!.

A cam 2 is fixed on each of the front sections 2@ of said shafts and is provided with a peripheral throw surface for actuating pickup devices which function to pick up the top band of a stack and to bend it into a ring-like shape around a ball of wool with its ends overlapped and disposed over an anvil for a stapiing operation.

Said anvil is a stationary member of a thin elongated shape which is supported on the top member 5 of said frame as at 25 to extend forwardly in a horizontal manner. It is tapered to more or less of a point at its forward end and has a flat upper face 21 provided with ordinary recesses (not shown) for bending over the ends of staples. A ball of wool, indicated at 28, is positioned immediately below the anvil so that in applying a band to the wool the ends of the band will be bent around the wool and over the anvil in an overlapped manner in order to be stapled together. 7

A stack of bands, indicated at 29, is supported transversely below the anvil and the bands are lifted one by one from the stack and fastened about a ball of wool. The stack of bands is supported on a table 30 which is automatically raised as bands are removed from it in order that the level of the stack will be substantially constant irrespective of the depth thereof. This level is essential because the pick-up devices swing between fixed points, as later explained, which requires that the top band be disposed at a given distance below the anvil.

The two pick-up devices are of identical construction and each comprises a head 3! (Figure 1) on the distal end of an arm The arms are individually pivoted as at 33 to the blocks 2! to extend upwardly and inwardly therefrom and are crossed in side by side relation to swing in parallel planes at the rear of the anvil 25. The lower ends of the arms are provided with rollers 34 (Figure 12) engaged with the corresponding cams 24 whereby the arms are simultaneously swung upwardly in the rotation of shafts M and I5. Springs 35 (Figure 1) act to press the arms downwardly when permitted by the cams. The throw of the cams is such as to effect the required movement in sequences to other operations of the machine such as that of applying the staples. The heads 3i are each provided with fingers by which the top band of the stack is lifted and flexed around the ball of wool supported beneath the anvil 25. For this purpose the pick-up devices swing between fixed points.

It has been mentioned that upon removal of bands from the stack the table is elevated to substantially maintain the level .of the stack. In other words the removal of several bands requires that the stack be raised a compensating distance, which necessitates elevating the table at frequent intervals so that the top band will always be at substantially the same distance from the anvil irrespective of the quantity of bands in the stack.

The means for elevating said table 38 (Figures 1 and 10) comprises a fixed vertical slide 35 on the front of said frame, to which is slidably attached a carriage 31 having a platform portion 33 on which said table is seated. Any suitable means, Such, as guide rods (not shown),

may be employed to retain the bands of the stack in proper alignment one with another so that they may not become inadvertently dis placed in the running of the machine. A toothed rack 59 is vertically arranged at the front of said slide and secured at it upper end to said carriage. The lower end thereof is slidably guided in a bearing 45 rigid with the lower end of the slide 36.

A shaft 4! is journalled in the bearing it transversely of the rack 39 and extended to one side of said frame where it is provided with'a hand wheel 42. The hand wheel is mounted to turn the shaft 4! and may be connected to the shaft in a direct manner or through the agency of a known type of clutch. A bearing 43 supports the shaft 4! adjacent to said hand wheel. This bearing is rigid with the base i of the frame.

On shaft 4! is fixed a gear 43 which is in constant mesh with the teeth of the rack 39.. The rack is fed endwise on rotative movement of this shaft for raising and lowering the table Also fixed on this shaft is a ratchet wheel 44 having one-way teeth engaged by a pawl 45 pivotally carried by an arm 46 loosely mounted on shaft 4| to turn independently thereof. Said ratchet wheel is held against endwise play along with the arm 45, which arm is oscillated to cause said pawl to turn said ratchet wheel in a direction for elevating the table 363. A single oscillation of said arm 45 advances the ratchet wheel a distance of one tooth and this movement elevates the table 38 merely a fraction of an inch which i sufficient to compensate for the removal of a comparatively few bands.

The arm 45 is motivated by a connecting rod 4? having a turn-buckle 4'5 for adjustment and forming a connection with a lever-like follower 38 which is pivoted at 49 and engaged with a wiper cam 50 having a throw element 55 by which a movement is imparted to said follower in each turn of a stub shaft 52. Cain 58 is a rotary member whose throw is suflicient to produce the required angular movement of the ratchet wheel 44. The follower 43 is held in engagement with the cam surface as by a spring-not shown.

The stub shaft 52 is journalled on the frame member 2 by a bracket indicated at 53 in Fig. 3, and on this shaft is keyed a ratchet wheel 54 having one-way teeth engaged by a pawl 55 pivotally carried by an arm portion 55 of a rocker bar 51. The rocker bar is pivoted on the stub shaft 52 and has a free arm 58 projecting into the path of a collar 59 rigid with a follower rod 65. The rod 60 is vertically guided for reciprocal movement as by a bearing El provided on a horizontal frame member 62, and a similar bearing provided on a lower cross member 63 of said framesee Fig. 3.

Said arm 58 of the rocker bar is held in engagement with the collar 59 as by gravity means or spring pressure, and the upper end of rod 59 is engaged with a quick-drop cam 64 fastened on a countershaft 65 (Figure 3) which is journalled in bearings 65 on said frame member 62. The counter shaft 65 is horizontally arranged parallel to said shafts i4 and i 5 and has a connection with the former by which it is driven. The driving connection (Figure 4) consists of the sprockets 6-7, 5'! and the chain 68, which chain also extends to an overhead shaft 69 by means of a third sprocket l0. Shaft 69 serves to operate the stapling mechanism which is yet to be described. A fourth sprocket designated by H is engaged with a run of the chain to maintain the tension thereof, for which purpose it is jour-' nalled in an adjustable bearing 12 on the frame member 62--see Fig 4.

From the foregoing it will be understood that cam 64 is driven concurently with shafts l4 and I5 and during its rotation it acts to depress the rod 60. The depressional movement is translated into an angular movement of the rocker bar 5'! by the collar 59. This movement is sufficient to advance the ratchet wheel 54 a distance of one tooth. Consequently the rod 60 must be reciprocated a number of times corresponding to the teeth on the ratchet wheel 54 before a complete turn is imparted to the cam 50. In this way the ratchet wheel 44 is only gradually advanced in the running of the machine and therefore the table 30 is raised with a step by step motion sufiicient to restore the level of the stack of bands at such frequent intervals in the running of the machine as is required to maintain a stack of bands at a substantially uniform height while bands are being removed from the stack by the pick-up de- V1088.

When a stack of bands is placed on the table the hand wheel is used to bring the stack to the required elevation so that the top band will be at the proper height with respect to the anvil. For this purpose the pawl 45 is temporarily disengaged until the adjustment is made.

Adverting to the pick-up devices it has been recounted that these comprise the heads 3| and the arms 32. In picking up a band from the stack 29 on the table 30 the crossed arms 32 swing in an upward direction inwardly on an arc 'of a circle under the influence of the cams 24. In the return movements the arms swing downwardly. Consequently the heads 3| are spread apart when lowered and travel towards each other in the upward swing of the arms 32. The pick-up devices are of identical construction, hence a description of one will suflice for both. The head 3| (Figure 18) of an arm comprises a bearing 13 integral with the arm or secured thereto and extended transversely thereof parallel to the axis of the pivot 33. The bearing '83 is bored through its length to provide an opening for a wrist pin 14 which is rotatably mounted therein and rigidly carries at its forward end a support 15 for a pair of gripping fingers 71S and H. Said fingers are located laterally of the wrist pin 14 and project forwardly of the support 35 to extend over the stack of bands-see Fig. 11 in particular.

The finger I6 is rigid with the support 15 and has an inner face 18 provided with suction orifices 19 leading to an air duct connected to a suction line, which in turn is connected to a source of suction. The suction line is made up of a length of flexible tubing 8i and a length of rigid tubing 82 (Figure 3). The flexible tubing extends from the finger 16 in order to accommodate the swing of the head 3|. The source of suction is shown as a pump 83 to which the rigid tubing is connected. Said pump is of a standard reciprocating type having a piston rod 84 connected to a cam follower 85 engaged with a cam 35 on the section It of shaft 65. Said cam has a throw suitable for actuating said pump in' timed relation to the operation of the pick-up devices.

When the head Si is fully lowered the finger l6 assumes a position directly over an end of the top band of thestack with its face 18 in such close proximitythereto that suction produced at the 7 orifices I9 will lift the end of the band and hold it against this finger. Since this finger acts in conjunction with the like finger of the other pick-up device it will be understood that the band, is bodily raised from the stack when the pick-up devices begin to swing upwardly. In this way the band which is at the top of the stack is separated from theremaining bands.

The other finger "II is a bent strip of spring metal which is of fairly stiff material and fixed to a rocker 81 to project forwardly alongside of the suctionface E8 of the finger It. The rocker 81 is pivoted on a slide 88 by means of a pivot 89. In this way the spring finger II is pivotally mounted with respect to the suction finger I6 for movement to and away therefrom and is also slidably mounted for endwise movement. The rocker B'I-is biased about its pivot 89 by means of a torsional spring 98 to press the spring finger 'I'I away from the suction finger 16 for biasing the spring finger to an open position.

The slide 88 is dovetailed on the support 55 for reciprocal movement endwise of the Wrist pin I4 and is forwardly biased by a compression spring 9| seated in a recess formed in said wrist pin axially thereof. On a side of the rocker 3? is a lug 92. carrying a set screw 93 disposed to abut a rear end face 94 on the suction finger IS. The compression spring 9| functions to urge the slide forwardly to project the spring finger II alongside of the-suction finger It and in doing so the set screw 93 is caused to engage the face 94 of the relatively fixed finger '56 which overcomes the resistance of the spring 963 and turns the rocker B'I about its pivot 89 with the result that the spring finger is pressed toward the suction finger IS in order to grip the end of a band which is held against the finger I6 by suction.

A latching device is provided to retain the slide 88 in retracted position while the pick-up device is being lowered and also while it is being partly raised. From this it will be gathered that the spring finger I1 is thus held retracted clear of the orifices 19 in the face I8 of the suction finger I6 so that the latter finger is free in its initial pick-up movement to pick up the end of a band.

In the retracted position of slide 88 the spring finger I! is also held in an open position as shown in Fig. 16. This-will be evident because in this position of the slide the set screw 93 is moved away from the contact face 94 and therefore the torsional spring 90 is able to act on the rocker 8? to retain the spring finger I? in open position.

Said latching device (Figure 13) comprises a rod 95 slidable endwise through the wrist pin I4 and secured at its inner end to the slide 88. The outer end is provided with a roller 95. A latch 9'! is pivoted at 98 on the bearing I3 and has a distal detent end 89 pressed toward said roller by a torsional spring I99. By this arrangement the latchautomatically engages the roller when the slide 88 is retracted.

The slide 88 is held in a retracted position by the latch 91 while the pick-up device is being lowered, the withdrawal of the slide having been accomplished by a retracting mechanism which will be later described. The spring finger TI is therefore in an open retracted position at the time the finger I6 picks up an end of the band by suction in the fully lowered position of the pick-up device. When the suctionally held end of the top band has been lifted well clear of the stacksof bands then. thelatching device is autoat the rear of the pick-up devices.

matically tripped so that the spring finger II will be projected and closed to positively grip the band end, whereupon the suction is cut off by movement of the cam 86 which acts on the pump 83. In this way the grip of the resilient finger replaces the suctional grip. The band end is carried upwardly in this manner toward the anvil 25 as it is being wrapped about the ball of wool.

While the end of the band is being lifted the support I5 is turned in the bearing I3 to impart a rotative movement to the fingers I6 and II in order to bend the band end around the adjacent side of the ball of wool and to bring the extremity of the band end over the anvil for stapling it to the opposite end of the band which is being similarly bent around the opposite side of the wool by the other pick-up device. In this manner the ends of the band are overlapped on the anvil below the bottom plate of the stapling device.

The means for automatically turning the fingers Iii and II of the pick-up device comprise a gear I ilI and a rack I02 which act against a spring I93 arranged to yieldably retain the support I5 in set position in which the face I8 of the suction finger I6 is located parallel to the top band of the stack and in close proximity thereto when the pick-up device is fully lowered as in Fig. 1. The spring IE3 is of the torsional type and is coiled about the bearing I3 with one end secured thereto and the other end secured to the support I5. The gear I III (Figure 20) is keyed to the wrist pin 14 and engaged by the teeth of the rack I02, which rack is slidably mounted on the bearing I3 transversely of said wrist pin and provided with a roller I04 at one end.

Movement of the rack I82 is controlled by a fixed cam plate I05 (Figure 12) having a cam surface 106, formed by an edge face, with which the roller I02 is engaged. The cam plate I65 is secured to the block 2| at the opposite side of the frame to that on which the pick-up device is pivoted. According to this construction the roller end of the rack I02 rides on the cam surface I06 and follows the profile thereof, which cam surface is shaped to impart the required rotative movement to the fingers I6 and I! in the upswing of the pick-up device.

The means for retracting the slide 88 (Figures 5 and 15) in order to open and withdraw the spring finger II when the ends of the band have been stapled comprises a lever I65 pivoted at II]? on the frame member 2 to extend upwardly The upper end of the lever I55 is provided with a crossbar I38 which is normally disposed forwardly of the rollers 96 of the heads 3i and so located that its ends will be in front of the rollers when the pickup devices are fully raised. The upper end of the lever I66 is retained in a forward position by a spring I69 attached to its lower end. This lower end is engageable by a push rod I It adapted to be actuated by a cam I I I on the shaft 55. Ac-

cordingly when the ends of a band have been stapled the cam III comes into operation and thrusts the push rod I If! forwardly thus swinging the upper end of the lever I rearwardly so that the rollers 96 are withdrawn by the crossbar Hi8 and held in retracted position by the respective latches 9i. As the pick-up devices swing downwardly the rollers 9d are carried away from the crossbar I68 and thus disengage themselves from it. The spring I139 restores the lever for a recurrent operation. The restored position of this lever is indicated in Fig. 15.

There is a tripping device (Figure 24) for the latch 91 of each pick-up device. The tripping device comprises a trip bar II2 projecting forwardly of the frame member 2 and supported thereon as by a block IE3. The trip bar H2 is slidably mounted in the block I I3 for a receding movement and is backed by a compression spring H4 which normally retains it in its forwardly projecting position. The forward end is shaped to provide a striker element I I5 which is disposed in the path of travel of a pallet I I6 (Figure 16) on the latch 91 of the respective pick-up device At a predetermined point in the upward swing of the pick-up device the pallet IIG strikes the element II 5 of the trip bar and swings it out,

of engagement with the engaged roller 98 thus permitting the spring 9| to press the slide 88 forwardly for projecting the spring finger ll in a closing movement on the end of a band which is being held by the suction of the finger I6. The pallet I I6 disengages itself from the trip bar I I2 in the continued upswing of the pick-up device. In the down swing of the pick-up device the trip bar I I2 recedes when it is contacted by the pallet I It thus permitting the latch to pass without its being tripped.

When bands of a different length are to be applied to wool it is necessary to change the relative positions of the trip bars H2 to correspond to any adjustment made to the location of the pivots 33 of the pick-up arms 32. To effect the positional adjustment of the trip bars II2 the supporting block H3 (Figure 23) of each is mounted in ways In of a plate IIB attached to the frame member 2 and provided with a feed screw II 9.

This feed screw is journalled in the plate I I8 and thr-eadedly engaged with the block IIS and has an end I20 by which it may be turned by a wrench. Said feed screw is held against endwise movement in approved manner and one of the ways IIl may include a gib key I2I by which incidental play may be taken up. The tripping device above described is detailed in Figs. 23 to 27 inclusive.

To apply a band to a ball of wool it is necessary to place the ball, indicated at 28, immediatel be low the anvil 25 and to hold it in this position until the band ends have been stapled together, whereupon the banded ball is removed by pulling it away from the anvil endwise thereof. It has been mentioned earlier that a rotary conveyor is employed for this purpose. The rotary conveyoris illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, and comprises a spider generally indicated by the numeral I23 and horizontally arranged at the front of the machine by means of a hub element I26 secured on a vertical post I25. A standard I25 supports the post for rotary movement for which purpose it is supplied with bearings indicated at I25.

The hub I24 carries a circular series of radial holders I2'I, only a few of which are shown in Fig. '7, which holders are mounted on said hub as by bearings I28 to slide outwardly and are retracted by tension springs I29. Said holders have outer ends forming heads I39 each receptive to a ball;

of wool. Said heads have rounded ends ISI with reduced neck portions I32 and inner collars I33. A ball of wool is placed on each head to abut the collar I33 thereof. The spider is disposed with one of said holders extending toward said anvil in the same vertical plane but terminating short thereof at a somewhat lower level so that when radially projected the holder will thrust the ball of Wool immediately below the anvil and support it in this position until a band has been applied.

.rod 5B.

whereupon the holder is retracted and the spider is turned to substitute the next holder on which a ball of the wool has previously been placed. Said spider is actuated to have a step by step motion in timed relation to the stapling operation and an actuating mechanism is provided for the holders to severally project them at proper intervals with respect to the intermittent movement of the spider. Balls of wool are placed on said holders by an attendant as they turn toward the anvil and when banded the balls are removed by hand as the holders are carried away from the anvil.

The actuating mechanism for intermittently rotating said spider comprises a ratchet wheel I34 fixed on the post I25 and engaged by a pawl I35 pivoted on an arm I36 which is loosely mounted on said post to oscillate freely. A connecting rod I37 attaches the arm I3I5 to a bellcrank I38 vertically arranged and fulcrumed at I39 on the frame element 83 by a bracket I40. A vertically arranged follower rod I II is guidably supported for vertical movement as by a swivelled bearing I42 on the lower frame element 63 and has its lower end engaged with arm MS of the bellcrank I38. The upper end of rod I II is pivotally connected to a rocker I III, which rocker is pivoted at I45 on the top frame member 5 and provided with a roller I 36 engaged with a cam I l'I secured on the shaft 65. The cam It? has a throw for actuating the rocker in timed relation to the stapling unit. Operation of this rocker depresses the rod I II and thus swings the bellcrank I38 to cause the connecting rod It? to actuate the ratchet mechanism on the post I25. Accordingly the spider is given a partial turning movement in a complete operation of the machine in which a band is stapled. Spring means (not shown) is used to return this ratchet mechanism for a subsequent operation.

The mechanism for projecting the holders I21 of the rotary conveyor comprises a vertically arranged projector bar I 58 pivoted at I IQ- on the standard I28 intermediate of its length and having an upper end disposed to engage a lug I59 on a holder when the holder is positioned for thrusting a ball of wool beneath the anvil. A connecting rod I5I is attached to the lower end of said projector bar Hi8 and also connected to an arm of a bellcrank I52. This bellcrank is pivoted at I53 on the frame member 53 and has its other arm I54 engaged by the lower end of the follower It will be manifest that by this construction an actuating movement is imparted to the bellcrank I52 when the follower rod is depressed by the cam 84 as previously recounted. This movement causes the connecting rod I5I to throw the upper end of the projector bar I48 forwardly so that it acts on the lug I58 of the aligned holder I2'I. Return movement of the projector bar is timed to take place when a band has been placed about the ball of wool on the projected holder and stapled.

When a band has been applied to a ball of W001 with its ends brought together in overlapping formation over the anvil 25 the ends are secured together by two parallel staples, designated by the reference character S in Fig. 7, which are set at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the band. The staples are formed and applied by the stapler which is located above t e anvil.

The stapler illustrated in Figures 5 and 2834 inclusive comprises vertical guide tubes I55 through which wire I56 is drawn from a source of supply. Said guide tubes are fixed in a bearing plate I? which is attached to the top frame sleeve I02 is vertically slidable in the bearing plate I51 and has a'follower #63 slidably contained in it. The follower I03 is provided with a roller IE4 at its upper end which is engaged with a cam I05 on the cam shaft 59. The sleeve IE2 is held in a raised position with the collar abutting the bearing plate I51 by means of springs I66 and on the collar is pivoted at I61 a jaw I68 which extends below the follower I03 and is upturned at its free end to engage the sections of the wires with which the jaw I60 is in contact.

In a wire feeding operation the follower IE3 is initially depressed by the cam I65 with the result that-the pivoted jaw I08 is swung into gripping engagement with the wires in order to clamp them against the jaw I00. In the continued throwof the cam I65 the follower abuts the sleeve I62 and lowers both jaws, which feeds a sufficient amount of wire into the cutting and forming unit to make the two staples. The mechanism of the feeding device then returns under the influence of springs I66 for a recurrent operation. The tube I59 is loosely connected to the elbow I50 and the cutting and forming unit so that it can accommodate relative movement thereof.

The cutting and forming unit is indicated as a whole by the numeral I69 and is vertically guided for a lowering movement by means of members I10 slidable onthe top member 5 of the frame and held in raised position by compression springs I1I.

The members I10 are oppositely arranged and have lower parts which extend inwardly and terminate short of each other to provide an intervening gap. At the top of said lower parts is a plate I10 'by which the members are rigidly connected together, and in the gap is a bearing member I10 in block form which rigidly depends from the plate I10. Fixed on the bearing plate I10 is a bottom plate I12 which, when the cutting and forming unit is lowered, lightly contacts the ends of the band over the anvil while the staples are being applied. The wire material I56 is fed over the top of the bottom plate I12 through suitable guide passages, and the rear top edge of the bottom plate is a cutting or shearing edge which co-acts with a movable die I13 for shearing the wires so that severed ends can be formed into staples.

The movable die I13 is vertically slidable on the bearing member I10 and is provided with a transverse slot which is open to the bottom face of the movable die. This slot forms a pair of spaced elements I14 for bending the cut-off lengths of material over movable blocks I15 to fashion the material into staples. The inner of the two elements I14 is the part of the die which co-acts with the bottom plate I12 to shear the material.

A depressional movement is imparted to the die I13 by a follower I16 vertically slidable in the bearing plate I51 and actuated by a cam I11 on the cam shaft 69. In the depressional movement the material is first cut and then bent by the elements I14 over the movable blocks I15 into U- shaped staples. Said movable blocks are horizontally mounted in guideways in the members I10 for movement transversely of the machine. The inner end of each block is disposed beneath a cut length of the wire while the die is descending to bend the wire. When the wire is bent the movable blocks are withdrawn by fingers I18see Fig. 3l-to permit a plunger to drive the staples through the band. The fingers are pivoted at I19 on the members I10 and are operably contacted by said. plunger, indicated at I14, mounted in the said slot of the die I13 between the elements I14.

The plunger I1 5" is depressed by a bar I pivoted at I8I and engaged by a follower I82 actuated by a cam I83 on the cam shaft 69. A separate cam I80 on the cam shaft 69 acts on a follower I85 to lower the members I10 along with the members I10 and I10 of the unit.

While this staple forming unit has been found to be satisfactory, it is not intended that the invention shall be limited to the specific construction thereof because it is apparent that a conventional structure might be substituted, or on the other hand preformed staples could be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

From the foregoing it will be manifest that the invention provides an automatic machine in which balls of wool are successively fed directly beneath the anvil by the rotary conveyor and in which a stack of bands is supported on the table with the top band thereof spaced a set distance below the anvil so that it can be picked up by the pick-up devices, the arms of which have a determined swing between the bands and the anvil. In the upward swing of the arms the heads thereon closely approach the sides of the anvil so that the ends of a band will be held in an overlapping manner overlying the anvil for the stapling operation. When the pickup devices are swung to fully lowered position the pneumatic fingers 16 grip the ends of the top band by suction in order to initially raise the band clear of the remaining bands as the travel of the pick-up devices is reversed in swinging upwardly. In the upward sweep the fingers 11 are projected into clamping engagement with the ends of the band to securely grip them, at which time the suctional hold is released. The fingers 10 and 11 are turned inwardly in the upsweep of the pick-up devices to bend the band around the positioned ball of wool and to overlap the ends of the band on the anvil. The stapler forms the staples and the forming unit thereof is lowered toward the anvil for applying the formed staples while the band is held by the pick-up arms. The pick-up devices release the band when it has been stapled and the banded wool is replaced. In the down swing of the pick-up devices the fingers 16 and 11 are reversely rotated and the resilient fingers are retracted to open position so that the suction fingers may pick up another band in a recurrent operation. The mechanism of the machine is so co-ordinated that a band is applied to a ball of wool in each complete revolution of the shafts I4, I5, 65 and 60.

A feature of the machine is that the pick-up devices may be adjusted to suit a given length of 13 band. For this purpose the sections of the shafts l4 and [5 are mounted in the blocks 2! on which the pick-up arms 32 are [pivoted and to which the stationary cams I05 are attached, as has been previously described. The blocks 2| have curved bottom faces l8! by which they are seated on arcuate faces I 88 of a bed plate I39 rigid with the base 3 of the frame. The arcuate faces I88 are made up of two curvatures, one at each side of the anvil and each curved on a radius R, Fig. 35, taken at a point coincident with the face 18 of the finger it of the respective pickup arm when this finger assumes a position adjacent to the anvil in the stapling operation. Ac-

cordingly when the relative positions of the blocks 2! are changed to suit a band of a different length the position of the finger i6 is not changed relative to the anvil in the fully raised position of the respective pick-up arm. 'The blocks 2! are adjustably secured to the bed E89 by means of flanges I96 and bolts iiii, which bolts are lodged in curved, elongated slots I92.

It is thought that the construction and operation will be clearly understood from the foregoing description and it will be manifest that such changes and modifications of the invention may be resorted to as clearly come within the scope of the ensuing claims.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for attaching paper bands to balls of wool comprising a frame, a table for supporting a stack: of bands, an anvil mounted on said frame above said table and spaced therefrom, means for centrally supporting aball of wool immediately beneath said anvil, a pair of pick-up devices supported on said frame to swing between the top of said table and the sides of said anvil, said pick-up devices including gripping fin gers provided with suction means for lifting a band clear of said stack, said pick-up devices also including means for causing said fingers to grasp the lifted band by its ends for wrapping it around the ball of wool with its ends overlapped and overlying said anvil, and means for fastening together said overlapped ends of the band while said ends are supported by said anvil.

2. A machine for attaching paper bands to balls of wool comprising a frame, a table for supporting a stack of bands, means for adjustably supporting said table on said fr me and for elevating it automatically at timed intervals to maintain a stack of bands thereon at substantially a constant level as the depth of the stack is reduced by removal of bands therefrom, an anvil mounted on said frame above said table and spaced therefrom, means for centrally support-' ing a ball of wool immediately beneath said anvil, a pair of pick-up devices supported on said frame to swing between the top of said table and the sides of said anvil, said pick-up devices including grippin fingers provided with suction means for lifting a band clear of said stack, said pick-up devices also including means for causing said fingers to grasp the lifted band by its ends for wrapping it around the ball of wool with its ends overlapped and overlying said anvil, and means for fastening together said overlapped ends of the band while said ends are supported by said anvil.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2, in which the means for adjustably supporting and elevating the table comprises a carriage vertically slidable on the frame, a toothed rack connected to said carriage for movement therewith, a gear journalled in the frame and meshed with said rack, and means for actuating said gear including a ratchet mechanism and a cam mechanism. 4. In a machine for attaching paper bands. to balls of wool, pick-up devices supported to swing downwardly to lowered positions, a table disposed below said pick-up devices for supporting a stack of bands, and means for adjustably supporting said table and for elevating it automatically at timed intervals to maintain a stack of bands thereon at substantially a constant level with respect to the lowered positions of said pick-up devices as the depth of the stack is reduced by repeat operations of said pick-up devices.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4, in which the means for adjustably supporting and elevating the table comprises a carriage vertically slidable on the frame, a toothed rack connected to said carriage for movement therewith, a gear journalled in the frame and meshed with said rack, and means for actuating said gear including a ratchet mechanism and a cam mechanism.

6. A structure as defined in claim 4, in which the pick-up devices are actuated by means including a driven shaft, and in which the means for supporting and elevating the table comprise a ratchet and cam mechanism including a rack gear, a first ratchet wheel rigid with said gear, an arm pivoted alongside said ratchet wheel, a pawl thereon engaged with said ratchet wheel, a pivoted cam follower, a connecting rod attaching said arm to said cam follower, a first cam supported for rotary movement and engaged with said cam follower, a second ratchet wheel, said second ratchet wheel being mounted to turn with said cam, a rocker bar pivotally supportedalong- I side of said second ratchet wheel, a pawl thereon engaged with said second ratchet wheel, a follower rod supported for endwise movement and having a collar for impartin a turning movement to said rocker bar when said follower rod is moved endwise, a second cam journalled to rotate for actuating said follower rod, and means for driving said second cam from the said driven shaft of the actuating means for said pick-up devices.

7. A machine as defined in claim 2, in which the means for adjustably supporting and elevating the table comprises a carriage vertically slidable on the frame, a toothed rack connected to said carriage for movementv therewith, a gear journalled in the frame and meshed with said rack, and ratchet and cam means for actuating said gear, said ratchet and cam means including a compound ratchet mechanism with an interposed cam mechanism, said compound ratchet mechanism being characterized by a first ratchet wheel, a second ratchet wheel,and a pawl connected to the second ratchet wheel and actuated by said interposed cam mechanism periodically to impart a fractional turning movement to the second ratchet wheel in each complete revolution of the first ratchet wheel.

8. A machine as defined in claim 1, in which the means for attaching the band ends includes a stapling device.

9. A machine as defined in claim 1', in which a stapler is mounted on the frame directly above the anvil and provided with an element for driving a staple through the overlapped band-ends and clinching it on the anvil to fasten the ends of the band together, and means for operating said element in timed relation to the pick-updevices.

10. A machine as defined in claim 1, in which a stapling mechanism is mounted on the frame above the anvil and provided with a staple-forming and driving unit, and in which means are provided to operate said unit in timed relation to the pick-up devices and to lower said unit for driving a staple through the band-ends and clinching it on the anvil.

11. A machine as defined in claim 1, in which a stapling mechanism is mounted on the frame above the anvil and provided with a staple-forming and driving unit, and in which cam means are provided to operate said unit in timed relation to the pick-up devices and to lower said unit for driving a staple through the band-ends and clinching it on the anvil.

12. A machine for attaching paper bands to balls of wool comprising a frame, a table for supporting a stack of bands, an anvil mounted on said frame above said table and spaced therefrom, said anvil being horizontally arranged and projected forwardly from a supported end and tapered to a substantially pointed free end, said anvil having a fiat top surface, means for centrally supporting a ball of wool immediately beneath said anvil, a pair of pick-up devices supported on said frame to swing between the top of the means that uses the anvil as a support in attaching together the overlappedends of the band is a stapler mounted over said anvil, and in which the top surface of said anvil is recessed to clinch a staple when it has been'driven through the ends of the band.

14. A machine asdefined in claim 1, in which the means for centrally 'supporting'a ball of wool immediately beneath the anvil comprises a holder on which the wool is placed, said holder being movable to and away from said anvil.

151' A machine as defined in claim 1, in which the means for centrally supporting a ball of wool immediately beneath the anvil comprises an automatic feeding device having a holder on which a ball of wool isplaced and then thrust beneath I the anvil.

16. A machine for attaching paper bands to balls of wool comprising a frame, a table for supporting a stack of bands, an anvil mounted on said frame above said table and spaced therefrom, means for successively stationing balls of wool immediately beneath said anvil, a pair of pick-up devices supported on said frame to swing between said table and said anvil, said pick-up devices including gripping fingers provided with suction means for lifting a band clear of said stack, said pick-up devices also including means for causing said fingers to grasp the lifted band by its ends-for wrapping it around a ball of wool stationed beneath said anvil with the ends'of the band overlapped and overlying said anvil, and means for fastening together said overlapped ends of said band while the ends are supported by said anvil.

1 7. A machine as defined in claim 16, in which the means for successively stationing balls of wool immediately beneaththe anvilcomprises an automatic feeding mechanism having a plurality ually supported, and in which said automatic feeding mechanism is operated in timed relation to the pick-up devices.

18. A machine as defined in claim 16, in which the means for successively stationing balls of wool immediately beneath the anvil comprises a rotary spider having a plurality of radial holders on which the balls are placed and fed by a step by step movement of said rotary spider so as to suecessively bring said holders into alignment with said anvil.

19. A machine as defined in claim 16, in which the means for successively stationing balls of wool immediately beneath the anvil comprises a rotary spider having a plurality of radial holders on which the balls are placed and fed by a step by step movement of said rotary spider so as to successively bring said holders into alignment with said anvil, and in which said holders are projected beneath said anvil when they come into alignment therewith.

2%). In a machine for attaching paper bands to balls of W001 the combination with an anvil and pick-up devices for wrapping a band around a ball of wool placed beneath the anvil for a stapling operation, of means for feeding balls of wool to said anvil and individually supporting thembeneath the same in timed relation to said pickup devices, said means comprising a rotary spider, radial arms carried thereby for outward movement beneath said anvil, resilient means retaining said holders in retracted positions, a ratchet mechanism for rotating said spider, a cam mechanism for motivating said ratchet mechanism, a thrust bar for projecting said holders, and cam means for actuating said thrust bar.

21. A machine foriattaching paper bands to balls of wool comprising a frame, a table for supporting a stack of bands, an anvil mounted on said frame abovesaid table and spaced therefrom, means for centrally supporting a ball of wool immediately beneath said anvil, a pair of pick-up devices having pivotally supported arms by which they are arranged to swing between the top of said table and the sides of said anvil, said pick-up devices including gripping fingers provided with suction means for lifting a band clear of said stack, said pick-up devices also including means for causin said fingers to grasp the lifted band by its ends for wrapping it around the ball of wool with its ends overlapped and overlying said anvil, means for actuating said pick-up devices, and means for fastening together said overlapped ends of said band while the ends are supported by said anvil.

22. A machine for attaching paper bands to balls of wool comprising a frame, a table for supporting a stack of bands, an anvil mounted on said frame above said table and spaced therefrom, means for centrally supporting a ball of wool immediately beneath said anvil, a pair of pick-up devices having crossed arms which are pivotally supported and arranged to swing between the top of said table and the sides of said anvil, said pick-up devices including gripping fingers provided with suction means for lifting a band clear of said stack, said pick-up devices also including means for causing said fingers to grasp the lifted band by its ends for wrapping it around the ball of wool with its ends overlapped and overlying said anvil, means for swinging said arms, andmeans for fastening together said overlapped ends of said band while the ends are supported by said anvil. 

